Metal panel fence



June 16, 1953 T, M, DANlEL 2,642,269

METAL PANEL FENCE Filed sept. 25, 195o 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. THQ/M5 M. Mw/EL PatentedV June 16, 1953 Y `UNI'IEDY VilTEPilli OFFICE,

' 2,642,269.. i Y I METAL PANEL FENCEk .Thomas'ltr Daniel, Birmingham, Ala. Application September`25, 19 50', Serial No. 1861633 (Cl. 25d-21:) l

This invention relates to metal fenc'esand has for an object the provisioncf affenc'e-madeof metal posts 'and sheet metal panels,- thief-edges ci r' the panelsv being provided with .continuously enfY tending, rounded sections', preferably iormed'- integrally with the panels, thus-eliminating-the`- danger of injury to stock enclosed by thefence" and adding strength to the panels, permittingl them to be made of a relatively; lightsheet.

A furtherobject oii my invention istoprovide a fence of the character designated in which the parts thereof may be fabricated'in the shopand easily erected by unskilled labor, thus providingl a fence which is economical to manufacture and install.

A still further objectofVmy invention is the provision of a sheet metal fence which lendsfitseli to kmass production and-one which may loev coated; with baked on enamel after the-post'and panelsY are formed and the holes punchedlthereinthus resulting in a rust resisting' fence' and one having apleasing appearance. Y I

, 'As is well known' in the art-'to which my invenetion' relates, live stock, particularly horsea areoften-.injured by the sharp edges'generally yes@ s sulting from the construction'of a fence-'offboards Even' minor injuries oftentimes become seriousfdue'ito infcf# and by vthe barbs? on wireV` fences.

tion.' To overcome these difficulties,` Ifliavefda.`

viseda sheet-i metal fence which preventsthe escape'of animals, 4one which is free Yfrombarbs4v and sharp edges 'and a fencewhich isfdu-rable and* strong.'

A metal i fence .embodying features'v-v of' my invention'iis .illustrated in the.'accompanyingdrawing. formingia .part of this application,l inlwhichz ,Fig. 1l isianelevational View.l ofthe fence; f

Figi' .2L isi alsectional View 'on `an enlargedscale itaken'along the line II-.-IIv of -'Fig' 1f; i f

Fig. 3 fisa'xse'ctionalview onfanenlarged scale takenialong'the linelIIl'e-Illof Fig.; Yandshowing ispinche'd .andthe .otheriis Aunpinched; i

Fig. e is an enlarged perspectivellview'- partlyl broken y.away 'and' showingltheLupperi` panels securedftotheipost;

Fig. 5 is anV elevational. viewfon anxenlar'ged scale showing the upper panel membersiniahutf ting, relation; and showing. the'v post dotted.

lines;Y i.

. Fig. ,6 is a view on an enlarged.l scalefisimilar toi Fig. 5 showing the ends of the lower panels.;

Figi? is an elevationalview Vof,the.'ffencelen'l @d1-ingestion; i

Fig.' Sis a sectional viewtaken along'theline' Fi`g.{9 is an elevational viewfofthe fence'emf j bodying Va rectangular post. partly `broken away andv in section;

v",Fig. l0 isa sectional'view taken along the 'line' panels* X.-X 'of Fig. 9 showing the ends'of` the abutting within the post; l Fig. il is a' view'similartor Fig; 10 showingthe ends oiv the 'panels overlapping` 1 withinthe po'st' and,v l, l

` Fig. l12 Ais an elevational? view"cf'the'fen'ce"as" shown in- Fig. 1 with one of the post' channel 'A members removed and showing*thepanelsine clined to one another, as'iorinstancev whenthere'" is a change in sloppe'of the gi'ound'hetw'eenpanels."

Referring' now' to the drawings for a1 better l t turned toward each other.

iianges 'l5 and Ia. The' post may'ha've any'deu 12 gauge;4 Extending between the posts lt'are unperraii rail or panel n'fiembersr le and" lower rail yor panel members' I1. The panels I and l? are formed 4 from sheet metal and have the;longitudinal'edges` ,Y

thereof rolled'to form integrally therewith edges", or. beads AI8 .whichY are circular incross. section,

as clearlyfshown in Figs. 2 ande. 'The rollec'l"k i edges I8 form reinforcingbeads lwhich'greatly@ l'f, crease the strength of the' panels.fand denne therebetweena at'intermediate portion'llli The A Vpanelsland lr'lfmay also he Otanyfdesired" Y width. Preferably, A,I 'Temr'iloy panels. approxif mately 'linches wide having. rolled edges approxi?. I mately 1%' inches in diameter.. and'faniintermedl Y ate. portion IQ approximately ,4%1 inches .wide.vr 1 Likewise Il prefer to roll "the edges. orfbeadsf. l Sso that .theyrare centered relative vto .the kplane. of ythe!Y panels yas viewed in transverse section. Y

y The'ends-of the upper panelsl/-arefshe-ped,-asf:` shown in Fig.- 5 so that when assembled the upper roll-ed edge-.i8 vextends to the centerothe posts: l0. The portion I9 of the panel-ifinterinediateV the rolled-edges I is formed sothat iis-fits beand terminates adjacent the inner edges of the legs I3 or I4 of the channels. The lower rolled edge I8 of the panel IB terminates adjacent the outer edge of the flanges I5 or Ia.

The ends of the lower panels Il are shaped as shown in Fig. 6 so that when assembled the ends thereof intermediate the rolled edges I3 extend between the flanges I5 or IEa, as the case may be, and terminate adjacent the inner edges of the legs I3 or I4 of the channels. Both upper and lower rolled edges I8 of the panels I'I terminate adjacent the outer edge of the ilanges i5 or Ilia. The ends of the rolled edges may be pinched as at or be left circular as shown at 20'.

To secure the panels I6 and I1 vto the post Id and provide means for erecting a fence having one portion inclined to the other as shown in Fig..12, elongated openings 2I are provided in the projecting ends of theintermediate portions of the panels. The openings extend longitudinally of the panel and, for the post and panels described above, should be approximately T7@ of an inch in length and approximately 1A; Aof an inch in width. Also, I have found that openings approximately 1% of an inch from the lateral sides of the portion I9 and approximately I@ of an inch from the ends of the panel portion I9 are satisfactory in every respect. Vertically spaced openings 22 are provided in the flanges I5 and I5a for receiving bolts 23 having nuts 24 therefor. The bolts pass through the opening 2I thus securing the panels to the posts. It will be apparent that by prof viding the elongated openings 2i in the ends of the panels the opposite end thereof may be raised should be of approximately 18 gauge sheet metal.

The upper portion of channel members I I and I2 forming the posts may be pinched inwardly as at 28 so that the upper edges of the channels lie beneath and wholly within the connes of the rolled edges I8, the diameter of the rolled edges I8 being as great or greater than the width of the pinched upper end of the post. The construction described provides a continuous smooth upper surface for the fence thus preventing injury to the necks of live-stock.

The post I0 and panels I6 and Il are fabricated in the shop and a protective coating such as baked enamel applied. This coating is applied after all the members are out and rolled to shape and all holes punched, thus assuring that all surfaces are coated with the enamel.

From the foregoing the method of fabricating Y and erecting my improved sheet metal fence may means of the bolts 23.

A slightly modified form of my invention is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawing in which I employ a post 29 in the form of a cylindrical tube. Oppositely disposed slots 3 I, slightly greater in length than the width of the portion I9 of the panels are provided in the sides of the post for receiving the ends of the panels I6 and Il. The projecting ends of the central portions I9 overlap each other within the cylindrical post 29 and are secured to the post by means of bolts 32 having nuts 33 therefor.

In Fig. v9 Vof the drawing I show a still further modiiied form of my invention-in which a rectangular tubular post 34 is employed. Oppositely disposed slots Sla are provided in the sides of the post 34 for receiving the ends of the panels I6 and I'I. The projecting ends of the panels may overlap within the post, as shown in Fig. 11 and may be secured to the post 34 by means of a single pair of bolts 32. If desired, the ends of the panels may abut each other, as shown in Fig. 10, and be secured to the post 34 by means of two pairs of the bolts 32.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a sheet metal fence which may be fabricated in the shop and erected with minimum fdifculty. By providing the rolled edges on the panels the strength of the panels is greatly increased and there is no danger of live-stock being injured by coming in contact with the fence. While I have described bolts and nuts for assembling the fence, it may be assembled by means of rivets, snap fasteners and the like. y

While I have shown my invention in several forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specically set forth in the appended claims.

W hat I claim is:

l. In a sheet metal fence, posts comprising oppostely disposed channels with their legs facing each other and having outturned flanges extending normal to the ends of the legs of said channels, vertically spaced panels between the posts with the ends thereof between said outturned flanges, longitudinally extending rolled edges circular as viewed in transverse section on said panels, the upper rolled edges of adjacent upper panels extending over the top of the post therebetween and substantially abutting each other, the remaining rolled edges of said panels terminating at the outer edge of said outturned anges, and means securing the panels to the flanges.

2. A sheet metal fence as defined in claim l in which the channels are tapered inwardly at the upper end of the post, the upper end of said post being slightly less in thickness than the external diameter of the upper rolled edges of the panels overlying the uppervend of the post.

3. A sheet metal fence as defined in claim 1 in which Vthere are channel reinforcing members' nested within and secured to the lower por tion of the post channels.

4. A sheet metal fence as defined in claimv 1 in which the portions of the panels between the nanges are the portions thereof intermediate the rolled edges.

5. In a sheet metal fence as defined in claim 1 in which the rolled edges are centered relative to the plane of the panels as viewed in transverse section.

` 6. In a sheet metal fence, posts comprising oppositely disposed channels with their legs facing each other and having outturned flanges at the 5 outer edges of the legs of said channels, upper and lower vertically spaced panels having continuous longitudinally extending rolled edges circular as viewed in transverse section, the upper rolled edges of adjacent upper panels extending over the top of the post therebetween and substantially abutting each other in endwise relation, the remaining rolled edges of the upper and lower panels terminating at the outeredges of the outturned flanges, end portions on the panels intermediate the rolled edges thereof between the outturned anges of the channels, there being openings in said end por-tions between the anges and in the outturned flages of the posts, and bolts extending through said openings securing the panels to the post iianges.

'7. A sheet metal fence as dened in claim 6 in which the openings in the end portions of the panels are elongated longitudinally of the panels.

8. In a sheet metal fence, posts, each comprising a cylindrical tube having vertically extending oppositely disposed slots therein, panelshaving longitudinally disposed rolled edges circular as viewed in transverse section extending between said posts, the upper rolled edge of adjacent top panels extending over the top of the post therebetween and substantially abutting each other, the remaining rolled edges of the panels terminating at the outer edge of the post, the end portions of said panels between said rolled edges being in said slots, and means securing the panels to the post.

9. A Sheet metal fence as defined in claim 8 in which the means securing the panelsto the post comprises a bolt extending through said post and the ends of said panels.

10. A sheet metal fenceV as dened in claim 8 v in which the end portions of the panels overlap each other Within the cylindrical tube.

11. In a sheet metal fence, posts, each comprising a rectangular tube having vertically extending oppositely disposed slots therein, panels having longitudinally extending rolled edges circular as viewed in transverse section extending between said posts, the upper rolled edges ofadveach other, the remaining rolled edges of the panels terminating at the'outer edge of the post,

the end portions of said panels ybetween said rolled edges being in said slots, and means securing the panels to the post.-

12. A sheet metal fence as dened in claim 1-1 in which the end portions of the panels overlap each other within the rectangular tube and are secured to the post by means of a bolt extending through said post and the ends of said panels.

13. A sheet metal fence as dened in claim 11 in which the end portions of the panels substantially abut each other within the rectangular tube and are secured to said tube Iby means of bolts passing through the tube and the ends of said panels.

14. In a sheet metal fence, posts having vertically extending oppositely disposed openings therein, panels having longitudinally extending rolledv edges circular as viewed in vtransverse section, the upper rolled edges of adjacent upper, panels extending over the top` of the post therebetween and substantially abutting each other,`

the remaining rolled edges of the panels terminating at the outer edges of the post, the end portions of saidvpanelsbetween said rolled edges being in said openings, and means securing the panels to the post. n

THOMAS M. DANIEL.

References' cited the .sie lof this patent UNITED sTATEs PATENTS Number Name Y Date 186,153 Nells Jan. 9, 1877 406,645 Higgins 'et al. July 9, 1889 460,960 Fowler Oct.l 13, 1891 1,849,167 Bente Mar.- 15 1932 2,047,990 Carswell et al. July 21, 1936 2,060,673 Hick NOV. 10, 1936 

